Date: April 15, 2025
Venue: Palais de Mahe, Pondicherry
Watch the recording HERE.
As part of BhāratShakti’s Samvād series of events in which selected books are discussed in the light of Sri Aurobindo’s vision, the latest book to be taken up was — Antaryatra: Soul Journeys, written by Dr. Beloo Mehra, Director, BhāratShakti. This took place at an event on April 15, 2025 organised by Brown Critique Books and Pondicherry People for Heritage. Ms. Gayatri Majumdar, Editor, AuroPublications, Sri Aurobindo Society, who is also the founder-publisher of Brown Critique Books and co-founder of Pondicherry/Auroville Poetry Festival facilitated the book discussion.
About the book
Antaryatra: Soul Journeys is published by Sri Aurobindo’s Action (with Brown Critique Books). It follows the outer and inner journeys of a young Indian named Yuvaan who is on a quest to know some truths about India and Indian-ness, with Sri Aurobindo as his guide. Over a period of three years, as he travels across various places in India — starting from Varanasi and culminating in Pondicherry, with stops at many places in between, — and learns about the essential spirit and its expression in diverse forms, he discovers that to know India is not different from knowing oneself.
About the discussion
Dr. Nanda Kishor M.S., Chair of Sri Aurobindo Studies, Pondicherry University was the guest of honour at the event. He shared a review of the book, which can be watched HERE.
During the discussion of the book between the author Dr. Beloo Mehra and moderator, Ms. Gayatri Majumdar, one of the first points was about the significance of the book’s title and the nature of Yuvaan’s journey or yatra. Another important point of conversation was regarding why our education has not really been able to awaken a real thirst among the youth to know about their country and culture, and what can be done.
It was also brought out that in recent times there is a growing number Indian youth who are turning to spirituality. What kind of challenges do they go through given the fact that they are constantly bombarded with things or temptations that lead to other aspirations as you alluded?
The author was also asked about her own journey, particularly with regard to an opening or a quest for some higher purpose or meaning during her younger days. She briefly spoke about a few specific experiences/epiphanies that made her appreciate the deeper cultural uniqueness of India and how her turning to the teachings of Sri Aurobindo added manifold to that growing awareness and so much more about existence and one’s place in the larger scheme of things.
Another point of conversation was why Sri Aurobindo is perhaps the best teacher or guide for the youth of India who are feeling distanced from their roots, who are not familiar with the essential Truth of Indian soul and its diverse expressions across space and time, who are not sure what India has to offer to the world, who are looking for a direction but don’t want to become mindless copycats of the West.
